Flounder and Ursula Have Their Eyes on the Same Prize in An Undersea Wish

In one of my favorite episodes of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Rabbit anxiously awaits the moment when his prized rutabaga potato will bloom. It’s a much-anticipated event, and the magic is in the rare blossoming of this fascinating plant. In An Undersea Wish, a book in The Little Mermaid’s Treasure Chest mail-order series published in 1992, Flounder is similarly entranced by a beautiful plant that almost never blooms, but his interest is not purely aesthetic.

Flounder is aware of the legend that when the flaminia blooms, whoever is watching will be granted a wish – but only if he is watching it happen all by himself. He believes that he is the only undersea resident to know about the legend and realize that this is the day he must go on a flower stake-out, but there is someone else who hopes to receive a wish from the amazing flower: Ursula, the sea witch. She sends her eels, Flotsam and Jetsam, to tell Flounder that Ariel is in trouble in hopes that this will convince him to vacate the premises. It works like a charm, but will Flounder be able to make it back to the flower before it blooms so he can stop Ursula from wishing to take over for King Triton as undersea ruler?

I’ve always found Flounder a very sweet character, so I liked that he gets a book to himself here. His twin sister Sandy, exclusive to this series, also makes an appearance, as does Sebastian, but this is mostly about his friendship with Ariel and his willingness to give up his dream to ensure his friend’s safety. Of course, Flounder, being the insecure little guy he is, has made one of those wishes that is basically already true, and he just doesn’t realize it. He wants to be “famous and important and loved” before it’s all said and done, he’ll realize that he is all three, especially the last, which is, after all, the most worthwhile of the three.

Of the three books in this series that I have read thus far, An Undersea Wish is my favorite. Continuity issues seem to ripple throughout the book series, but aside from another confrontation with Ursula involving Ariel, there’s nothing too glaring here. I’m curious as to whether Flounder’s twin was ever officially introduced; here, she’s really just a background character.

Like the rest of the books in this series, this one is a hardcover, with a cover design that resembles a golden treasure chest on the outside and has a significant scene from the book inside. It’s a pretty small book, wider than it is tall, and each page contains a paragraph or two of text. The illustrations are colorful, and all of the characters are rendered well. I especially like Flounder’s varied expressions.

If you’re a fan of the shy, loyal Flounder, chances are you’ll love An Undersea Wish.